You can write about anything you want. Anything. Some
people open tiny windows into their lives; others write surrealist
poetry. Some writers post finely tuned, perfectly crafted vignettes;
others show up at the end of the night and spew drunken nonsense
onto the screen.

You bring the content. We set the format.

This is an exercise in disciplined creativity. Writing exactly
100 words at a time -- not a single word more, not a single word
less -- isn't as easy as it sounds. The word count may be arbitrary,
but the motive is not. To borrow from Proust, the tyranny of rhyme
often brings out the poet's best work. By working within a standardized
form, the writer can concentrate on other matters.

I began this project with a friend on January 1, 2001. We wrote
for 100 days straight -- and then decided monthly "batches"
would be better. For May 1, 2001, we invited our friends to write;
they invited their friends; and so on. Within a few months, I had
what I wanted: collections of daily thoughts from separated people
who were restricted to the same format of expression. Were there
intersections of incidence? Of reflection? Of emotion? Coincidence
of joy? Of agony?

We still love those early batches.

What began as a creative exercise between a few people is now
a vibrant community of writers who have collectively published more
than 7,000,000 words. We'd like to think that most of those words
were written for this project. That is to say, they wouldn't
exist otherwise.

In this way, 100 Words was one of the first social tasking
websites. (And yes, we just coined that term.) Social networking
is fine -- find your long lost cousin on Facebook, keep in touch with friends
from high school, don't be lonely. 100 Words is about purpose. Writers
come here to be productive, to be creative, to be inspired. I wanted
to give my friends something to do. Membership is free, easy and without obligation.

Complete writing guidelines are here.
Important copyright information is here. If you
have any questions or comments. please click here.

Thank you for your interest in 100 Words. As we've said for years,
without the enthusiasm of its participants, this project would be
nothing.